Free apps can cost you more than you think!

We all like free apps, have to admit it! Paying for the use of a mobile device is the obsession of many people. However, if you know the truth behind the so-called "free", it is more likely that from now on, every time you need to download a utility, you will prioritize more expensive products. Believe it or not? Let's read the lower part.

Free application, in fact there is a fee

This is the problem: application developers need to have something to maintain life. This means, their efforts must make a profit (somehow). Placing ads doesn't seem like a big problem when you download a good app for a "0" price, but a new study has shown that this model is impacting the user experience. more mobile than we think.

If you want to know if the money you spend is worth it, look at the negative effects of what's called "free".

Advertising really annoying!

Look at the most basic fact: Nobody likes advertising . We all have to face it because it's a valuable alternative to not having to pay to buy but really no one is happy to see the ad. I will never think "Wow, the Piano Tiles ads are great and it made me lose this game" when I have to stop the current game of the Color Switch game.

Freemium is even more expensive

Freemium is a free application, but some features in the app require users to upgrade to the Premium version to be experienced.Candy Crush is one of many representative representatives of this form. We all know it's addictive. Will you stop the desire to conquer when you reach level 700 and suddenly lack a support to overcome the difficult screen while the game store is available? Would you accept to play over and over again or pay to buy a supplement, pass that "good" stage and start moving into a new stage? One thing is certain: if you want to play for a long time and go further, you have to pay.

And these applications help developers get a small amount of money. In 2014, all IAP packages (in-app purchase packages) of Candy Crush Saga game helped King earn over 1.3 billion USD. The legendary Final Fantasy game series also helped Square Enix "get" over $ 15 billion from selling things to gamers. Even many other game companies only "live" thanks to a single product.

Advertising and story consuming battery

You might think it's just a banner or a video of a few minutes, even under a minute, but they can actually make your phone battery drain very quickly. According to a study conducted by USC universities (University of Southern California) , ICSE ( International Conference on Software Engineering - International Conference on Software Engineering) and RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology), applications It has integrated ads that consume more than 16% of battery power compared to "clean" applications (in other correlated conditions). This is equivalent to about 2.1 to 2.5 hours of battery life for nothing.

Although the production of batteries has greater power reserve and battery saving methods like Doze Mode , ignoring annoying ads is a completely different matter.

The machine runs slowly

The phone is always running smoothly when new but over time, it will slow down. This happens due to many reasons, but one of the reasons being ignored is the in-app ads. Also according to the conclusions made from the study, applications with ads make the CPU work slowly about 48% , 22% because the memory is too big and 56% due to tasks or utilities running on the machine.

Data consumption

Some people like to use unlimited data packages but not all. And even if you're using 3G / 4G (prepaid or postpaid) services, you're likely to pay more if you use too much data. The story here is that you don't want to waste unnecessary data if you can avoid it.

This is the problem. Ads are almost unchanged, meaning that information must still be downloaded after a certain time, unlike when you use the information stored in device memory. Studies have also concluded that advertising makes data consume about 79% faster, even up to 100% depending on the frequency of use and specific applications.

Application quality

There are more than 1.6 million apps on Google Play Store and many of them are annoying ads. No manufacturer makes every effort to develop a smooth and quality application if they do not receive a reward. If it is a paid product, programmers will constantly make it more perfect than before.

Why should not believe in app reviews?

To solve this problem, some people are confident in their choice of free apps based on app store reviews. But don't be happy because the facts below will make you look back.

1. Assessments are based on subjective feelings

When someone comments on an app or game, they are completely based on personal experience. That conclusion can be made after thousands of hours of continuous use or can only be opened a few times or even, worse when they are installed, do not know how to use and immediately removed. Remember, anything you read in the reviews is subjective feelings of others.

2. Assessments lack integrity

Because it is subjective, it is not evaluated in many respects. Moreover, sometimes a feature is underestimated if it is not what you need when downloading an application, it does not really affect your experience. High score, number of downloads or reviews are selective reference data.

3. It is not always true that other people's opinions are true

One thing is for sure, a lot of people download apps to their phones, but they don't have much knowledge or even, only very little technology. Even if you read reviews from journals or any blog about an application, do not rush to believe that the gadget is the best or the worst. Nothing is absolute because reputable game developers are constantly improving their products.

4. The PR trick behind the reviews

It is very common for developers to pay others to write reviews or introduce their products on Wiki, social networks or personal blogs. They are trading software and competing with other companies so they are also trying to extort your money. Therefore, they are willing to invest in good comments about their products to attract users.

Another thing you should note is that posting negative reviews about competitors' products to push their products up is not uncommon. Therefore, become a smart mobile user from now on to not make the wrong mistake.

6 tips to help you choose a good application

1. Read carefully and selectively review the reviews

Relying on previous users' reviews or referring to articles from reputable journals is a very useful basis for you to make the right choice. If you have more time, compare it. Compare review articles, search for applications related articles and start the trial experience.

2. Based on the rating rate of the application

There is no denying that many applications are relatively good but still rated 1 star or bad application but the number of reviews is 5 stars high. However, for products developed by reputable and long-time firms that exist on Google Play or the App Store , the Rating rate is the criterion that can be referenced.

3. Watch the review video

Just search on YouTube , you have a lot of other users' share of results right away on an app. These videos are often accompanied by verbal descriptions as well as providing a true picture of how to use, experience and personal comments so this is a good reference.

4. Try shortened versions

The reduced version of an application or game, though not as full of features as the official version, is still good for you to download the trial experience. One way to identify it is that applications are usually released as "Lite" like Clean Master Lite , the application allows high-level features to be tested in a limited time or some games allow users to use plugins. There is a fee, but when it comes to milestones, it is disabled and requires you to pay for the next experience.

The shortened version is the way the publisher wants users to see the quality of the product to a certain extent. Conversely, with this form, you have the opportunity to try it out to make the most accurate judgments before deciding to buy a certain product.

5. Learn about publishers

A reputable publisher always has clear information, including name, website and address. Certainly, it is better to download apps or games from well-known developers in the market.

6. Check the latest version update time

A good application, but the current version is updated about 1 or 2 years ago, even if only a few months, you need to consider carefully. Because when the phone's hardware and software are constantly being renewed by device manufacturers, it is difficult for an application to be ignored for too long.

In fact, there is nothing free. It is important that you see what is being removed in an "invisible" way!